I'll Help You Carry On
by Drama-Duchess
Summary: A sequel to "When You're Not Strong." Ephram's medical condition worsens and he must cope.
1. A Fly On The Wall

Disclaimer: I wished the characters belonged to me, but they don't.  
  
Author's Note: Here's my fourth one! As you may know, this is a sequel to "When You're Not Strong." Once again, I would like to give massive thanks to all of you who've taken the time to read/review my stories. It means so much and all your attention is appreciated. If you would like me to read/review your story, just drop me a note and I will try at the very earliest to do so. I've been trying to write consistently lately, which leaves me very little time to read. ~ Thanks! ~  
  
Title: I'll Help You Carry On  
  
Chapter 1: A Fly On The Wall  
  
He quickly finished tying the shoelaces on his black Nike sneakers, grabbed his backpack and headed out the swinging doors. As he stepped into the hall, he spotted his father sitting on a green plastic chair waiting patiently for him while flipping casually thru an old copy of a National Geographic magazine.  
  
"Dad!" Ephram hailed as he approached his father. "I'm done changing."  
  
"That was fast. You ready to go?" Andy said gathering their coats.  
  
"Yea."  
  
They walked to the out-patient nurse's station and awaited the clerk to hand them forms to complete.  
  
"You know Ephram, you've become a favorite among the nurses." Andy spoke with sincerity.  
  
"That's only because I've become somewhat of a regular here. They're used to seeing my face. It's no big deal." Ephram replied humbly.  
  
"No, I've got to give you credit. You've been the model patient these several months. And when they learned you had an aortic aneurysm, they literally had tears in their eyes. They're blown away by how brave and smart you are. I think you're the pet now."  
  
"Oh great. Just want I needed. Draw more attention to myself."  
  
"Yeah. I mean, you can't help the fact that you are so adorable, now can you?" Andy humored.  
  
"Phiff, was I supposed to laugh at that?" Ephram taunted. "Just as long as no one else knows about my condition, I'm happy."  
  
It had been five months since the dreadful day Ephram was told he had a descending thoracic aortic aneurysm developing in his chest. The unfortunate news ultimately broke him but he learned to live with the medical condition that demanded constant medical updates and checkups. He also was required to make visits to the radiology wing of the hospital to have CAT scans done on a monthly basis. Being ashamed of his hereditary condition, Ephram swore to secrecy. Aside from his father, the only people who knew were Nina and Delia. His father had been most supportive throughout the entire ordeal. Andy had scheduled every appointment as well as accompanied Ephram to every CAT scan procedure. He kept Ephram's secret well hidden not only because he respected his son's wishes, but he also knew Ephram still wasn't strong enough emotionally to explain to people that a ruptured aneurysm can be fatal. Time was the key, so Andy kept his promise for the time being. Hence, earning Ephram's trust.  
  
"Don't worry. Doctors and nurses know patient information is held confidential. I should know - I'm a doctor. Remember?" Andy assured. His son nodded.  
  
Dr. William Sommers stepped out of the radiology office. As usual, his white lab coat flew with him as he took big strides. His stoic expression softened when he saw Ephram and Andy waiting by the desk. They exchanged greetings and minor chitchat.  
  
"So, you know the drill Ephram. 48 hours for today's CAT scan results." Dr. Sommers said. "Bethie, the radiology technician, is totally in love with you. She tells me you have been a complete pleasure to work with."  
  
"You see - even the radiologist thinks you're adorable." Andy input seeing Ephram blush a shade of pink.  
  
"She says you follow all the breathing instructions perfectly and looks forward to next month's session." Dr. Sommers mused.  
  
"Dad - make him stop!" Ephram whined jokingly.  
  
Andy and Dr. Sommers laughed. They found teasing Ephram quite enjoyable.  
  
"Alright kid." Dr. Sommers said turning more serious. "But honestly, you really have taken all this very maturely for someone your age."  
  
"OK Dr. Brown, just need you to fill this out and sign right there." A clerk interrupted as she handed Andy a sheet of paper.  
  
"You take care of yourself, kid. I'll see you and your father in two days for review. And says right here, you're due back on the 16th for the next scan." Dr. Sommers read off the patient appointment schedule on the nurse's station.  
  
"I've taken in so much radiation that I wouldn't be surprised if I started to glow in the dark." Ephram replied.  
  
"You're exaggerating. As far as medical science is concerned, CAT scans are safe. Radiation exposure with CAT scans is even significantly less than ordinary X-rays. There's nothing for you to worry about." Dr. Sommers explained.  
  
"So, Ephram. To our usual place right?" Andy questioned as he scribbled his signature on the bottom of the form.  
  
"Sure dad." Ephram smiled. "Oh, after every checkup and CAT scan, we go on a ice cream run." He said to Dr. Sommers, who had a confused look on his face.  
  
"There's nothing like a cherry jubilee drenched with hot caramel and nuts on a cold Sunday afternoon." Andy grinned.  
  
"Yea, I'm starving so bad I think I hear my stomach conducting a symphony right now." Ephram complained.  
  
"You should be. You were not allowed to eat anything this morning because you know why." Andy reminded.  
  
"You HAD to remind me of that gross contrast material I had to be injected with. I feel like such a science experiment." Ephram made a face.  
  
"And doc, so goes a day in the life of the Brown's." Andy said to Dr. Sommers.  
  
"Too much drama for you Andy?" Dr. Sommers laughed.  
  
"We'd better get going cause Nina, Delia and Sam are waiting for us at the ice cream parlor." Andy stated. "Bill, it's been fun. See you in two days." The adults shook hands.  
  
Andy and Ephram were coming down the hall when a doctor stopped to chat with Doctor Andy "The Miracle Man" Brown on an article he'd just read in the medical journal on neurologic complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.  
  
Ephram had waited the whole morning for food - another ten minutes wouldn't make a difference. He found his way to the front desk, which was swarming with nurses buzzing away at their important duties. He decided to kill some time by reading the bulletin board that was tacked with an array of multi- colored papers. A poster of a crying teddy bear that mentioned a statistic on children and chickenpox was taped to the adjacent wall. There were endless schedules with medical jargon that Ephram can only guess what they meant. He found all the long terminology quite amusing and started reciting them out loud.  
  
"Um, I think it's pronounced 'Cer-re-bro-vas-cu-lar'." A voice corrected. Ephram spun around to find the owner of the voice. There stood Colin Hart in his spiffy looking red and yellow letterman jacket. Ephram turned pale.  
  
"I'm getting good at this pronouncing stuff. I mean, it seems like just yesterday I couldn't even remember how to say 'water'." Colin continued. "I'm on a roll!"  
  
"Colin! Wha-what are you doing here?" Ephram stuttered.  
  
"That's a dumb question. I'm here for my MRI follow up. If you recall, I was in a car accident - flew head first thru the windshield - you know, was comatose for four months - ended up with amnesia. Ring a bell?" Colin teased jokingly. "I think I should be asking YOU what YOU are doing here. You stick out like a sore thumb."  
  
"Uh. My dad, uh." Ephram was caught off guard. He never thought there would be a chance of running into Colin at the hospital on the same day. It really was a small world in Everwood.  
  
"Um, I'm here for a physical." Ephram said at the spur of the moment. He tried to sound as convincing as possible but he was a terrible actor.  
  
"At the radiology wing of a hospital??" Colin asked quizzically. "Come on Ephram, what's really going on?"  
  
"Nothing! I'm really here for a physical." Ephram stuck with his story despite the fact that it really made no sense to have a physical at a hospital, especially at the radiology wing. 'Colin's gotten smarter' Ephram thought.  
  
"I don't think so. I saw you with your dad and that doctor." Colin's attempt to read Ephram's eyes was in complete failure.  
  
"Nope. It wasn't me. You must've mistaken me for someone else." Ephram avoided eye contact. He was never good at lying.  
  
"Oh yes, it was you. I heard you guys talking. You said~"  
  
"What exactly did you hear?" Ephram almost shouted cutting Colin off. Colin recoiled seeing how frightened his friend appeared.  
  
"Is everything ok?" Colin quit joking around. "Are you ok?" His facial expression became more sensitive as he put emphasis on the word "you."  
  
"What did you hear?" Ephram repeated firmly.  
  
"Nothing much. Just something about you being hungry. Then you said you thought being injected with contrast material was gross." Colin stammered. "Ephram, why were you taking contrast material? They use that stuff for CAT scans and MRIs."  
  
"Who said I was?!" Ephram's yell resulted in getting an annoyed stare from the desk clerk. "You shouldn't eavesdrop on people." Ephram lowered his voice.  
  
"I wasn't! I was just passing by. Honest!" Colin was surprised by Ephram's defensiveness. "Were you here for a CAT scan?"  
  
"Of course not! I was here for a physical and that's it. Don't go around spreading rumors about me. Got that?"  
  
"Ok - you don't have to be so touchy. It was just a question." Colin replied as Ephram started walking away.  
  
"Hey!" Colin called. Ephram turned around. "See ya at the game tomorrow." Colin waved.  
  
Ephram didn't wave back. In fact, he said nothing at all. He dug his hands into his jeans pockets and walked back to his father. How much did Colin really hear? Did Colin suspect anything? Was the secret still safe? Questions without answers filled his head.  
  
* end of chapter 1 * 


	2. Intense REM

Chapter 2: Intense R.E.M.  
  
Andy closed his checkbook after writing the last bill of the month. He got up from the dining room table and ventured into the dark living room where the calm murmur of the television droned. A toothy grinning David Letterman spoke charismatically into the screen presenting the stupid human/pet tricks segment of the show. 'The Late Show with David Letterman' was the only television program Ephram watched religiously. It was Ephram's connection with New York. With this show, he felt like he was part of New York again. He's traveled halfway across the nation, so far away from his hometown, and the show somehow kept him rooted. He was shocked people in little crap-ville Colorado even knew who David Letterman was. Ephram, with his cheek leaning against a cushion on the couch, curled up in a comfortable slumber. Andy sat down next to him.  
  
Andy tried to pay attention to David Letterman reading the mailbag but his mind kept drifting to something more important - his son. The flicker from the TV lit the room as Andy watched his son sleeping. Ephram was definitely a deep sleeper. His breath was very soft and steady. One would believe him to appear almost dead when he's asleep. Just the very notion of it scared Andy. Ever since the diagnosis, Andy became somewhat of a night owl - checking up on Ephram when he was sleeping to make sure he was alive. He knew it sounded cruel to even think such a thought, but he was very worried. It was a ritual for Andy without Ephram knowing.  
  
Andy admired how child-like his son looked. Ephram's dark tousled hair gave him a boyish appearance and his long eyelashes reminded Andy so much of Julia. His pink lips parted slightly and a line of drool was finding it's way onto the paisley cushion his head rested on. Ephram's over-sized Old Navy gray sweatshirt hung over his bony shoulders and frame like a draped doll. His white crew socks were neatly tucked under blue sweatpants. Andy noticed his son's vulnerable demeanor curled up in his sleeping position. Ephram's long pianist fingers were hidden beneath the cushion. Andy loved everything about his son - the flaws as well as the perfection.  
  
Andy observed how abnormally peaceful Ephram was dozing. He hesitated before poking his son lightly on the shoulder. His son did not budge.  
  
"Ephram?" Andy whispered and shook Ephram's shoulder tenderly. "Hey, buddy." Andy whispered again. Ephram let out a sigh as he woke from his restful nap. He wiped the drool coming from his mouth with a hand and stretched.  
  
"Hmmm. Dad. What'd I miss?" Ephram said sleepily rubbing his eyes.  
  
"You've just missed your favorite show. You must've been super tired." Andy reported.  
  
"Yeah. I've had a tough day. That CAT scan thing really gives my body a workout." He yawned.  
  
"You'd better get to bed then." Andy advised as Ephram agreed and shuffled his way into his room.  
  
*** The Dream ***  
  
The massive silhouette of a man chased Ephram down dark corners of a deserted street. Ephram pounded frantically on doors and called out desperately for help but no one answered. He glanced over his shoulder and the figure loomed in the darkness. There was no time to lose. He had to keep moving. He tried to run as fast as his tired legs could carry him but his legs felt like rubber bands. His attempt to escape the shadows was in vain. The faster he ran, the closer the figure got. Fear filled his body and soul. He called out for his father. "Dad! Daddy!! Daaaad!!" he screamed in horror. But the only thing he heard was the amplified pulsating of his heartbeat echoing in the darkness. He stopped running to catch his breath. With hands on his knees, he puffed as sweat dripped from his temples to the ground. A sound of leaves rustling caught his attention and he raised his head. The shadow suddenly appeared in the distance and Ephram ran. He turned into an alley and panicked when he realized it was dead end. He tripped on his own feet and landed sprawled on his stomach. He turned around to face the dark shadow. The shadow was a mass of darkness with the shape of a man but had no human features.  
  
"What do you want from me?!?!" Ephram hollered. The shadow gave no answer. It silently threatened Ephram. "Leave me alone!" Ephram sobbed.  
  
The shadow reached down and yanked Ephram's arm sending a stab of pain to his upper back. And with that, Ephram woke from his dream in a cold sweat. His heart raced and goose bumps crawled his skin. The dream was so real he could've sworn he actually felt the pain lingering in his arm and back as he sat on his bed. He was still shivering from being frightened so terribly. His eyes darted across his room searching for the massive shadow but it was nowhere to be found. It was impossible to go back to sleep. His room was supposed to be the most comforting place on earth because it belonged to him, but somehow, he did not feel safe anymore.  
  
*** Safety Net ***  
  
"Dad?" Ephram called softly as he stood at the foot of his father's bed. Andy stirred. "Dad?" Ephram repeated.  
  
"Ephram?" Andy said as he sat up. "Are you feeling alright?"  
  
"I know this sounds childish, but can I sleep here tonight? I had a awful dream that really freaked me out."  
  
"Sure. Hop in." Andy welcomed as he pushed back the heavy blanket to make room for his son. Ephram crawled onto the king-sized bed as Andy tucked him in under the thick covers. Facing his father with wide-eyes, he watched Andy pull the covers up to his neck. "Are you ok?" Andy asked.  
  
"Yea - I think so." Ephram answered. "Thanks."  
  
Andy, awakened from a very rare good sleep by his son, was now worried again. Ephram never had a nightmare that spooked him so much he had to sleep with his father. Something wasn't right. But Andy was glad Ephram turned to him for comfort. Andy waited for Ephram to fall asleep before he fell asleep himself. It was a very short-lived slumber before awakened again by Ephram.  
  
"Let go of my arm!!" Ephram mumbled in his sleep. "Let go!!"  
  
A loud painful-sounding grunt from Ephram woke Andy instantly. Still trapped in his nightmare, Ephram thrashed in his sleep. "Ugh! My arm!!" He moaned.  
  
"Ephram! What's the matter?" Andy bellowed and turned on the lamp on his nightstand. Andy realized Ephram was talking in his sleep.  
  
"Wake up!! Ephram!" Andy grabbed his son's shoulder and felt his son's wet cheek brush against his hand. Disoriented, Ephram accidentally jabbed his father in the jaw with his fist. "Wake up, son. You're having a bad dream." Andy continued. Finally, Ephram opened his eyes and saw that he was holding his left arm in a tight grip.  
  
Now, he was sure his arm, in fact, did hurt. It was too real. He sobbed and his father held him in a long embrace. "It was just a dream. It wasn't real." Andy soothed. Ephram was crying not so much because the dream scared him, but because of the jarring pain in his arm, which he did not want to reveal to his father.  
  
"My God, you packed quite a punch there." Andy said loosening his jaw with his hand as he noticed Ephram's hysterics subsided. "Didn't know you can be so dangerous in your sleep."  
  
Ephram's eyes told him he was sorry. "Don't worry about it. I'll be black and blue in the morning but I'll survive." Andy added. "So, you want to talk about it?"  
  
Ephram shook his head and buried his face into his father's shirt. "Ok. Then you want to go back to sleep?" Andy guessed. His son nodded.  
  
"It's ok. Don't be afraid. I'll annihilate any monsters that come into your dreams. They'll have to answer to me before they can harm one hair on your head." Andy declared.  
  
Eventually feeling safe, Ephram drifted back into his slumber. Andy knew sleep was out of the question for the rest of the night. He guarded Ephram with a vengeance - making sure no more morbid dreams tormented his head. Ephram's nightmares were gone and he slept quietly until dawn, giving his father a calmer peace of mind.  
  
* end of chapter 2 * 


	3. Paranoid

Chapter 3: Paranoid  
  
"Dad, why didn't you wake me up? I'm going to be late for school." Ephram came running down the stairs with his hair half-combed.  
  
"Relax. I'm granting you parental permission to miss your first class. I saw you had a rough night, so I decided to allow you a few more minutes of sleep." Andy explained as he inserted two frozen waffles into the toaster.  
  
"Where's Delia?" Ephram inquired. "It's usually never this quiet."  
  
"Irv picked her up a long time ago." Andy busily poured orange juice into Ephram's mug. "Must've been some dream you had last night. My jaw still hurts. I'm lucky I can still chew."  
  
"Sorry I hit you." Ephram apologized.  
  
"Like I said, it's alright." Andy said. "Ephram, I was thinking. Maybe you shouldn't go to school today." Andy's concern had grown after witnessing Ephram's distress. He didn't want Ephram out of his sight.  
  
"I can't miss the big game after school. They'll notice if they don't see me sitting in the bleachers. Besides, I already said I was going."  
  
"Does it have something to do with Amy being there?" Andy teased. As far as he knew, Ephram never cared much for basketball until now.  
  
"No. Can't I go because I want to?" Ephram shot an offended look at his father.  
  
"If you say so." Andy shrugged as the crispy golden waffles popped out of the toaster and Andy put them on a plate for Ephram. "I'm worried about you. How long have you had these nightmares?"  
  
'Dad playing the shrink, as usual' Ephram thought.  
  
"Off and on but not every night." Ephram confessed.  
  
"And it's always the same dream?"  
  
"Yea. I don't feel like talking about it." Ephram crammed a large helping of waffles into his mouth. "Don't worry. I'm fine."  
  
"Don't talk with your mouth full." Andy reminded. "And chew before you swallow." Ephram rolled his eyes as he listened to his father nag him.  
  
"I'll give you a ride to school. But you call me if anything, OK?" Andy said.  
  
Timidly, Ephram made it thru the day without drawing any special attention. Being more of a wallflower than a wildflower, he was used to being on the sidelines and admiring the view from afar. Observing was his specialty in life. There was a lot to be learned by watching people. He didn't like being suffocated with attention. He needed his space to breathe.  
  
The pain in his left arm gradually returned. It was identical to the pain he felt in his dream. It had started to get difficult raising his arm above his head. He massaged his left shoulder with his right hand. Although it helped a little bit, he still didn't think it was important enough to tell his father. He was just glad the school day was over.  
  
"Hey Ephram. There you are! We've been looking all over for you!" A smiling Amy called, as she strolled down the hall with Colin conveniently clinging to her waist.  
  
Ephram piled a few more textbooks into his locker as his two friends approached.  
  
"If I stand corrected, I would think you were trying to avoid us today." Amy kidded folding her arms across her chest.  
  
"Why would I be avoiding you?" Ephram looked squarely at Colin with his piercing greenish-gray eyes.  
  
"It's just that you missed chorus this morning. And it was kind of surprising - no, let me rephrase that - shocking for Mr. Perfect Attendance Record here." Amy continued. "What's the deal?"  
  
"So. I missed one class. What's it to you?" Ephram grew paranoid that Colin said something to Amy about the hospital incident. It was clearly a love- hate relationship between Ephram and Amy.  
  
"Nothing Ephram. We were just worried." Colin jumped in.  
  
"Worried? What do you mean by that?" Ephram's anger started to flame.  
  
"Ephram, we just meant it wasn't like you to cut class unless you had a pretty darn good reason to." Amy pursed her glossed lips.  
  
The conversation was brought to a halt when they heard a thumping noise getting louder and louder. It was Bright walking towards them in his team uniform dribbling a basketball.  
  
"You guys ready to go to the game? We are gonna cream those guys." Bright hooted getting hyped up for his basketball game. Colin and Bright exchanged secret handshakes and goofed around a bit. "Whoa, the gym is packed!!"  
  
"Hey squirt. What's the story?" Bright nodded to Ephram. All eyes fell on Ephram - like they all knew something he didn't know.  
  
"I don't have to answer to any of you. I don't have to justify myself for everything I do. You like to keep tabs on me, is that it? It's bad enough my life came to a stand still in this shit-hole. Why don't you find someone else to spy on?" Ephram yelled furiously. His heart jumped and a pressure point was growing in his upper back.  
  
"What'd I say?" Bright exclaimed in confusion looking at Amy and Colin for the answer.  
  
"Ephram, relax." Colin said calmly. "Why are you so angry?"  
  
"Oh, Shut up! Just mind your own damn business and shut up!" Ephram roared and slammed the door of his locker. A bolt of pain hit him so hard he gave a shrill cry and held his chest.  
  
"Ephram! What's wrong?" Amy fretted. Colin placed a hand on Ephram's arm but Ephram shoved it away.  
  
"Nothing. Just leave me alone. All of you!" Ephram shouted and hid his agony. He walked towards the exit door in a huff.  
  
"What's eating him?" Bright wondered.  
  
"He's been acting weird ever since the semester began. Your guess is as good as mine." Amy replied to her brother.  
  
"Somehow, I don't think he's well." Colin muttered. "I'll catch up with you guys at the gym in a few minutes."  
  
Ephram released the exit door with a bang. His temper and rage always got the better of him. He yelled at the only friends he had for no reason and they probably hated his guts right now. He couldn't go back in there. Besides, he didn't like basketball anyway.  
  
He went for a walk to cool off his fury. It wasn't two blocks until the pain in his arms reappeared. The pressure shifted to his back. He sucked in a breath but it didn't help. It was getting harder to draw a breath. Something was terribly wrong. He had to call his father. He fished his coat pockets for his cell phone but then he remembered he left it in his locker at school. Finding his father was the easy part - he was positive his father was still at the clinic. The hard part was he had to walk it.  
  
The more he walked, the worse the pain got in his upper back. By the time he reached the fourth block, he was already hugging his chest. His legs started to drag. He was so close - just one more block to go.  
  
Ephram stumbled against the corner of a brick wall. He wanted so bad to sit on the pavement and rest but he knew if he sat down, he would never be able to get back up again. However, Ephram didn't know he was being followed.  
  
"Ephram! Are you sick?" Colin came out of his hiding place running to Ephram's side upon seeing him lurch for the wall.  
  
"Why are you following me?" Ephram said between labored breaths. Colin saw Ephram's colorless face and the dull gaze in his friend's eyes.  
  
"You don't look so good." Colin observed. Ephram hobbled slowly away. "Why won't you tell me what's wrong with you?"  
  
"I don't need your help." Ephram said without turning around. Another twinge of pain in the chest caused him to grab the nearest structure to steady his balance. This caused great alarm in Colin.  
  
"I know you don't, but I'm going to help you anyway." Colin replied nervously. "You look like you're about to pass out." Not understanding Ephram's condition, Colin tried to pull Ephram's arm over his shoulder for support when Ephram gave a blood-hurdling scream. Colin froze not knowing what to do.  
  
"I have to get to my dad's office across the street." Ephram said biting back the pain. Colin nodded and did his best to help without inflicting any more pain.  
  
'It was just like in the dream' Ephram thought. Was Colin the dark massive shadow? It couldn't be because he was not scared of Colin at all. Colin was hardly the overpowering darkness that his dream depicted. Colin was harmless. It HAD to be something else.  
  
*end of chapter 3 * 


	4. The Secret's Out

Chapter 4: The Secret's Out  
  
"What happened?" Edna Harper questioned Colin upon seeing the two staggering into the clinic.  
  
"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me." Colin panicked. "But it looks bad."  
  
"Please - get my dad." Ephram begged with his back leaning against the wall of the foyer. He couldn't breath no matter how hard he inhaled air.  
  
"Ephram - tell me what's wrong. Did you fall? Did someone hurt you?" Edna asked trying to decipher the cause of the problem.  
  
Ephram couldn't stand anymore. He slid down to the floor with his back still leaning against the wall. He hugged his chest tightly.  
  
"I want my dad!!" Ephram sobbed. "It hurts."  
  
"Doc!!!! Need you out here NOW!!!! Doc!!!" Edna screamed down the hall as she crouched next to Ephram.  
  
Andy came running to see what the commotion was about. "What is it Edna?" His voice trailed off when he saw his son sitting on the floor crying hysterically. "Ephram!!"  
  
"Dad! Help me." Ephram whimpered thru blinding tears. "My back hurts really bad."  
  
"We should move him into the exam room." Edna suggested getting ready to help Ephram up.  
  
"No! Don't move him. Call an ambulance. We've got to get him to the hospital immediately." Andy instructed.  
  
"But we don't know." Edna began to say.  
  
"Edna, you don't understand." Andy said shaking his head. "He may be bleeding internally. Ephram's got an aortic aneurysm." Andy added. Shocked, Edna did as she was told.  
  
"Ephram, I'm going to need you to lie down on the floor." Andy's voice squeaked as he tried desperately to remain calm.  
  
"I can't move." Ephram coughed as Colin watched in horror.  
  
"I'll help you." Andy offered as he slipped his arms firmly around his son supporting his back and waist. "Easy does it." The pain was so intense that Ephram grabbed his father's sleeves and refused to let go. Tears poured from his eyes. "You're going to be fine." Andy comforted.  
  
"I'm scared." Ephram moaned as his back was laid gently to the floor.  
  
"Here, hold my hand." Andy said taking Ephram's hand. "Edna! Get the oxygen tank from the exam room." Andy ordered seeing his son beginning to wheeze.  
  
Ephram managed to stay conscious during most of the ambulance ride to the hospital. His father sat by his side never once letting go of his son's hand. Ephram didn't have the strength to cry any more tears. The painkillers left him tired and sleepy. Andy was nearly scared out of his wits when Ephram's tight handgrip suddenly went limp until the paramedics reassured Andy that Ephram was just asleep.  
  
He awakened to find himself confined to a hospital bed. Numerous tubes and wires attached and inserted into his body freaked him out. The room was deathly quiet except for unidentifiable noises that came from the contraptions he was hooked up to. He searched fearfully for his father.  
  
"I'm here." Andy said seated in a chair next to Ephram's bed. "Feeling better I hope." Andy attempted a smile. "I know it looks intimidating but it's not. Just keeps track of your vitals." Andy added upon seeing Ephram's bewildered gaze at the machinery that filled his room.  
  
Ephram took a deep breath of oxygen and opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out on the first try. He tried again and this time, a loud grunt came from his lips.  
  
"Shhh. You don't have to say anything. It's ok." Andy played with Ephram's long fingers. Ephram looked hard into his father's eyes. Andy had been crying. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy. Ephram didn't understand how his father, who was perceived to be so strong and always keeping his cool, can possibly breakdown into a sea of tears. Does the life of Ephram Brown end here? Was this it? What was going to become of his father and Delia? Was he going to feel any pain when he finally descends into the darkness never to return? Questions ran thru Ephram's head like wildfire.  
  
"Dying." Ephram's bluish lips quivered. He decided he had to be man enough to handle the answer. He coached himself to accept the consequences.  
  
"What? No!! That's not going to happen."  
  
"Want truth." Upon seeing Ephram's questioning stare, Andy couldn't bear the hopelessness in his son's eyes. All he wanted was a piece of the truth. He wasn't asking for a whole lot. He had to give him an answer.  
  
"The good news is the aneurysm did not rupture. Because of the circumstances, Dr. Sommers was able to obtain yesterday's CAT scan results back early." Andy sighed tearfully. "The aneurysm has gotten bigger by one centimeter. It's putting pressure against neighboring organs and blood vessels, which would explain the excruciating pain in your back, chest and arms."  
  
"Looks like you're getting that surgery a lot sooner than we thought. Dr. Sommers scheduled it for tomorrow morning." Andy continued. "By this time tomorrow, you're going to be good as new."  
  
Andy tried so hard to be strong but looking at his son this way broke his heart. Ephram's face was a shade paler with parched bluish lips. Gray circles hung under his dull tired eyes. His frame was so gaunt and frail that his collarbone protruded under his skin. Andy saw how fragile and weak his son appeared and wanted so bad to be optimistic. He would do anything to lift his son's spirits.  
  
"You know what I heard? There's a going to be a Marvel and DC comic book convention coming to Vegas in January. I figure by then you would be up and running. How about we fly over and attend? It'll be fun!! Just you, me and Delia. You'll get to meet fellow comic book geeks - I mean buffs - across the nation." Andy laughed. "Would you like that?"  
  
"I know what you are trying to do, dad. I'm not stupid." Ephram frowned. He was weak in body but his feistiness made up for it. "You're just trying to get my mind off surgery. It's not necessary."  
  
"Oh, so you DON'T want to meet the creators of your X-Men's Wolf-Man and what's-it-called Masters of the Universe or Darkness something or other." Andy rebutted wittingly causing Ephram to chuckle. But instead, his dry cough shook his thin frame. "You ok?"  
  
"First of all, it's Wolverine and second of all, it's Princes of Darkness. I think He-Man was more your generation." Ephram corrected in a hoarse voice.  
  
"I'm going to make you a deal. You concentrate on getting well and I'll beef up on getting all the super hero facts straight. You can even quiz me before we go to the convention. What do you say?" Andy challenged.  
  
"Sure. If you think you can handle it." Ephram grinned. Somehow, with his father by his side, ICU wasn't so menacing after all. The machines and the confinement weren't as bad as it seemed. 'Get used to it Brown, you are going to be here for a while' Ephram told himself.  
  
He looked around the solitary room. There was a large window facing the outside to his left. The sun was setting behind the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. 'How lucky - a room with a view. When I'm not thinking about death, I can look out the window at a couple of rocks' Ephram thought ironically. He scrutinized the rest of the room. A couple of chairs and a small rectangular table stood at one corner. He noticed an interior glass window next to the door. Watching thru that very window were Colin, Bright, and Amy.  
  
"They know." Ephram said turning to his father. Andy nodded.  
  
"Sorry, but they had to find out sooner or later. They want to see you though."  
  
"I don't want to talk to them right now."  
  
"They're very worried about you."  
  
"Just tell them I'm tired or something. It's not so far from the truth." Ephram blinked drowsily. "Please?"  
  
"If that's what you want."  
  
Ephram watched the melancholy faces of his three friends. Bright and Colin stood there quietly with their hands hidden in the pockets of their letterman jackets reminding Ephram of two bowling pins. The three of them watched him sympathetically. Except for maybe Colin, they couldn't possibly identify with the pain he was going thru. Then he switched his glance over to Amy. She was wearing a khaki coat with a fur collar. Her pretty face was filled with sadness and her lips trembled. He could've sworn he saw a tear glistening on her cheek. 'Was Amy crying?' Ephram thought. 'Did she care so much about me?'  
  
"Do you need anything?" Andy asked.  
  
"Yea. Nina." Ephram mumbled as he fell asleep.  
  
* end of chapter 4 * 


	5. Waiting For A Miracle

Chapter 5: Waiting for a Miracle  
  
The squeak of her sneakers sounded against the well-polished tiled floors of the hospital as she rushed into the waiting room scouring for Andy. She appeared to have just bounced out of bed. Her long wool coat flapped open over her blue cloud printed flannel pajamas. Her uncombed hair was tied back into a ponytail. It was the first time Andy had seen her without makeup. But there was something naturally radiant about her even without the use of cosmetics. When she bolted into the room, everyone looked up expecting the doctor to appear with good news. She found the Abbott's and the Harper's scattered wearily around the room. Bright was staring blankly at the ceiling. Colin comforted Amy in his arms. Harold and Rose were quietly whispering words to each other. Edna rested her check on Irv's shoulder. It was the most depressing scene she had ever seen.  
  
She spotted Andy sitting on a sofa with Delia leaning her head against a pillow fast asleep.  
  
"I came as quickly as I could. I had to drop off Sam at my parent's." She said taking a seat next to Andy. "How long?"  
  
"They wheeled him in about an hour ago. The surgery was scheduled for the morning but he couldn't wait." Andy's hands convulsed as he covered his eyes. "The pain was so bad that they had to do the synthetic graft immediately."  
  
"Poor Ephram." She consoled.  
  
"He and Delia are all I have. I can't lose him, Nina. I can't." Everyone looked up hearing Andy's audible sob.  
  
"Ephram's a strong kid. You know that. You won't lose him."  
  
"I would give anything to trade places with him right now. He doesn't deserve this." He got up and walked to the window. Nina followed. Andy could not play the strong person in front of all his friends any longer. He burst into a fit of passionate tears. Nina hugged him tightly. It seemed the more everyone comforted Andy, the more he cried.  
  
Andy never knew the true meaning of loss until he lost his wife. The despair and loneliness swallowed him. It seemed no one could save him from the solitude no matter how many friends, colleagues, and relatives came up to give their condolences at the funeral. The person he was supposed to be the closest to had been taken away from him forever. He couldn't face life alone. He watched Julia's life slip thru his fingers like grains of sand. He was reliving the same nightmare except this time it was with Ephram.  
  
He didn't know Ephram nearly as well as Julia. It wasn't fair that his second chance at being a father was unjustly being robbed from him. He wanted to understand his son - to know what he liked and disliked - to build fond memories. There weren't enough of those. He wanted to be able to know Ephram the way Julia had. Ephram was irreplaceable.  
  
* All the movement woke Delia. She sat up and started bawling. She had hoped it was all just a bad dream and that she was really tucked in her bed at home with Ephram fast asleep down the hall safe and well. But it wasn't. Her big brother was helplessly being sliced open in the operating room.  
  
"I want Ephram!!" She screamed in such violent sobs that tugged the hearts of all those in the room. Andy took her in his arms. "Daddy, I want Ephram!!" She hollered weeping.  
  
"OK sweetie. It's ok." Andy hushed smoothing her hair.  
  
Delia was only eight years old but she knew what was happening. People tend to underestimate her mentality. Of course she didn't understand all the medical terms but she knew her brother was very sick and there was a possibility that he won't make it thru the night. She was smart enough to figure that out. No one had to inform her. Ephram was one of the two important men in her life. She always put her brother on a pedestal - sometimes even more so than her father. But she often kept that part to herself. She looked up to Ephram and he gave her the attention and understanding she needed when their father wasn't around. It was incomprehensible that Ephram could die.  
  
She remembered the first time Ephram took her to the movies - just the two of them. Delia was so excited she couldn't sleep the night before. The movie was 'Shrek' at the Cineplex on 84th Street and Broadway. She vaguely remembered the content of the movie but she never could forget the fun she had that day just being with her brother and their secret splurge on popcorn, soda and candy bound together by a pinky-swear never to tell mom. Above all, she never forgot the Junior Mints. Ephram had bought her a box of Junior Mints. Delia was reluctant to try them because she had never tasted one before, but Ephram convinced her it was good stuff. Ephram poured a couple into her small hands and watched her popped them into her mouth. She gave her brother a big chocolatey grin. It's been her favorite candy ever since.  
  
"Ephram." Delia wailed. "I want to see Ephram."  
  
"Baby - me too." Andy whispered thru closed eyes.  
  
* This was like Colin all over again. She never thought it possible that anything life threatening can ever happen to someone else she cared so deeply about. Colin's life was saved and now Ephram's life was in danger. He's been sick all this time and she unknowingly abandoned him completely. She shouldn't have treated him so cruelly. If only she tried to understand him instead of constantly pushing him away maybe he would have told her his secret. He wouldn't have to go thru it alone. She felt unbearably guilty.  
  
"Dad says the patient has a 50/50 chance of surviving an emergency aneurysm surgery." Amy's voice trembled as she spoke to Colin.  
  
"You believe in odds? They said I didn't have a chance in hell of recovering and look at me now." Colin replied. "I know your dad is a doctor and everything, but I totally refuse to believe in odds. Ephram will prevail."  
  
"I feel so bad." Amy said. "Ephram must be in so much pain."  
  
"He was. You should've seen him at the clinic."  
  
Amy started to cry. Her tears streamed down her face. "Maybe if I wasn't so mean to him." She sobbed.  
  
"Grover." Colin said calling her by the nickname he had given her years ago. He kissed her hair.  
  
"It wasn't you that was mean to him. I was the relentless one." Bright suddenly spoke. "I've been giving the kid a hard time from the start. It wasn't fair."  
  
"I can't believe he didn't tell anyone all these months." Amy wiped her tears with her sleeve. "It must've been so hard for him to manage. Were we so caught up in ourselves that we didn't we see it?"  
  
"He's got to be alright. We've got to make it up to him." Bright heaved.  
  
* "Andy, I know we've never seen eye-to-eye on many things but I just wanted you to know if there's anything I can do, just say it." Dr. Harold Abbott offered putting his hand on Andy's shoulder.  
  
"Thanks Harold." Andy replied.  
  
"I can't imagine what you're going thru. I know if anything happened to Amy or Bright, I would be devastated."  
  
"Look, it's getting really late. Bring your family home. They look tired."  
  
"I don't think they want to leave." Harold spoke for everyone.  
  
After a few hours, Andy persuaded the Abbott's, the Harper's, and Colin to go home. Nina refused to leave Andy's side. Delia had cried herself to sleep once again. Andy and Nina talked, prayed, held hands, cried, and eventually dozed off from pure exhaustion. The soft jingling of a phone in the distant woke Andy from his perturbed sleep. Rubbing his stiff neck, he looked out the window and noticed the sky was still dark. The ticking clock on the wall showed it was 3:50AM. Ephram had been in surgery for nearly five hours. He was getting nervous.  
  
It was precisely 4:32AM, when news finally arrived.  
  
Dr. Benjamin Horowitz was the head surgeon involved in Ephram's operation. He came down from cardiology still in his blue sweat soaked scrubs to tell Andy the good news.  
  
The surgeon announced to Andy that Ephram made it thru surgery and was moved back to intensive care. He clarified that just because Ephram made it thru the surgery does not necessarily mean he was out of the woods yet. But Andy was so grateful for any bit of good news he nearly kissed Dr. Horowitz.  
  
* end of chapter 5 * 


	6. A Budding Romance

Chapter 6: A Budding Romance  
  
Andy went to stretch his legs and get a cup of coffee from the vending machine in the hospital lounge. It had been 48 hours since Ephram's surgery and he showed considerable signs of improvement. He was reliant on mechanical ventilation for a short time after the surgery but as progress was made, the breathing machine was removed. Even though the surgery was a success, it left Ephram extremely weak. He couldn't keep awake more than a few minutes at a time.  
  
Eventually, Andy wandered back into Ephram's room. He found Nina sitting by Ephram's bed still stroking the boy's cheek gently with her hand.  
  
"Andy, you missed it!" Nina's eyes danced. "He was just awake."  
  
"Really?" Andy glowed. He looked at his son who had fallen asleep again. The breathing tubes attached to Ephram's nose made him appear feeble and powerless. His ruffled dark hair was plastered against his forehead. Andy sighed at the sight of Ephram's bloodless face and limp body. His ghastly complexion was defined with light rust-colored patches under each eye. Somewhere hidden beneath that lifeless body was Ephram's strength and Andy was far from giving up.  
  
"He looked at me and smiled!" Nina beamed excitedly.  
  
"Yea? I guess that's just the old Ephram charm." Andy laughed.  
  
"It was the sweetest smile I'd ever seen." Nina giggled. "And you missed it!!"  
  
"Well, I'll catch the next one."  
  
"He is so precious." Nina admired and continued to stroke Ephram's cheek. "Andy, look at him. He's breaking my heart."  
  
"I think he'd be glad to hear you say that."  
  
Only members of the immediate family were allowed to see Ephram in intensive care. Andy was able to get an exception for Nina simply because of the fact that Ephram was so attached to her. He needed her. Also, being a doctor with hospital relations helped tremendously. They stayed with Ephram all morning watching him sleep and waiting for those rare moments when he woke up.  
  
Lunch in the hospital cafeteria was not exciting. It consisted of bland day old hamburgers, oily tater-tots, and the infamous blue jello. Black coffee was the only thing halfway decent. The food at Momma Joy's was a thousand times more appetizing than this prison food. Nina was not very hungry but she took a couple spoonfuls of jello and attentively watched Andy wolf down his food. With all the worrying, he never had appetite until now. This was apparently the first meal he's had since Ephram's surgery. He was famished.  
  
"If you don't slow down, I'm going to have to take the food away. Take it easy - remember you had an ulcer?" Nina said sipping her coffee.  
  
"Oh, right." Andy agreed. "You know what I just realized? This food really sucks." He said chewing the last bite of his burger.  
  
"You say that after you've completely devoured the meal in less than ten minutes?" She questioned and shifted on the bench to face Andy.  
  
"Hmm, good point. Remind me never to take Momma Joy's for granted again."  
  
"I will." Nina smiled warmly.  
  
For the first time in months, Andy felt a bond between him and this woman he called a 'friend.' He saw her dedication to his children - especially since Ephram's bout with pneumonia. Was Ephram the only one who saw Nina as someone more important than just a friend and neighbor? It dawned on him that his son already accepted her as family. When all hope was gone, she stood firmly by his side. He wasn't ashamed to bare his heart and soul to her. And she had supported him thru every possible dilemma. He was blind to not see something that was so clearly in plain sight. She cared.  
  
"I never thanked you." He touched her hand.  
  
"For what?" She inquired suspiciously.  
  
"For all you've done. You helped me out in so many ways I never thought possible."  
  
"Oh, it was nothing." She blushed.  
  
"She's modest and humble too! Now I know you were sent from God." Andy marveled. "You saved Ephram's life that day."  
  
"But I didn't do anything."  
  
"If you hadn't been there when he collapsed, no one would've found him until it was too late."  
  
"Let's just call it maternal instinct." She winked.  
  
There was a sudden romantic spark in her eyes. Andy felt it too. He squeezed her hand and their faces drew closer. She did not reject his advances. They hesitated just slightly before their lips touched for a moment. It was undoubtedly a sensual kiss disguised in the form of a comfort kiss. They both knew their repressed desire for each other and their hearts ignited.  
  
"OK, what just happened?" Nina reddened as the affectionate kiss came to an end.  
  
"I'm not sure." Andy said timidly. "But I don't regret it one bit."  
  
"I don't have any regrets either." She replied smiling from ear to ear. "In fact, it was wonderful." She turned serious. "But life is just really complicated for me right now. And you know my situation."  
  
"I know." Andy played with his empty coffee cup. There was a long uncomfortable pause and neither one of them knew what to say next.  
  
"Maybe we should get back to Ephram's room now." Nina suggested. Andy agreed.  
  
* end of chapter 6 * 


	7. Friends Will Be Friends

Chapter 7: Friends Will Be Friends  
  
Ephram gazed out the window of his hospital room. The snow-capped picturesque Rocky Mountains stood in their majestic forms casting massive shadows on the valleys and crevices of the earth. They seemed almost threatening in their Herculean appearance. The snow-ridden silver clouds moving quickly across the lavender sky gave darkness and gloom to the earth in a ghostlike manner hiding the last strand of the sun's golden hues.  
  
Perhaps dreams really were premonitions of tomorrow. It was mysterious how thoughts can creep into our subconscious mind telling us more than we cared to know. Were abstruse dreams capable of being interpreted as brief glances into the obscure future? The psyche allows us complex hints into our fate so far beyond our recognition that we fail to realize the connections in our waking hours.  
  
It was the first time Ephram was able to get out of his bed since his surgery. He still had the IV and couldn't go too far, so they put him in a wheelchair by the window. He was on his way to recovery.  
  
He fixed his stare on the peaceful towering pine and spruce as the wind rustled the treetops. He never realized how homesick he was for New York City life until that moment. He missed the loud symphony of sirens and honking cars, the 5 AM wake-up calls by the obnoxious screeching of garbage trucks and sanitation workers mercilessly banging trashcans at their every whim. He missed the horde of yellow taxi cabs swarming like bees striving to deliver passengers to their destinations, and the whizzing of cars and trucks on the Riverside Drive. He missed the bustling of people scurrying along in their busy lives, and the foul-mouthed commuters dishing out their share of profanity so bright and early each morning. He missed Brooklyn and Coney Island. He even missed city smog. He missed this and so much more. There was no excitement in Everwood.  
  
"Ephram, you are in for a treat today." A male voice interrupted his train of thought. Ephram turned his head and saw the smiling faces of his three friends, who had just waltzed into his room. The voice belonged to Colin.  
  
"Shouldn't you guys be at basketball practice or something?" Ephram replied weakly.  
  
"And miss our tour? Never!!" Colin joked.  
  
"What tour?" Ephram asked curiously.  
  
"We're breaking you outta here, my friend. We think you've seen enough of this room." Colin said as Bright took control of Ephram's wheelchair and pushed it towards the door. "Are we ready to explore?" He added.  
  
"Wait - What are you doing? I'm not supposed to leave this room." Ephram worried.  
  
"Relax, we figured you'd be bored to tears in this room so we thought we'd drive you around the hospital a bit for a change of scenery." Amy explained with a cheery smile. Ephram watched the words pass her pink glossy lips in awe.  
  
"If you have no special requests, we will go for the scenic route starting with oncology." Colin stated as Bright gaped at the yellow squishy saline solution in the IV bag dangling from the metal hanger above the wheelchair and followed his gaze on the tube connecting to Ephram's skinny wrist.  
  
"Here, this will keep you warm." Amy snatched the blue quilt blanket from the bed and spread it neatly over Ephram's lap covering his legs and socked feet.  
  
"I still think this is a bad idea." Ephram grumbled.  
  
"C'mon, we have to find some way to keep you amused. Just tell us when you're tired and we'll bring you back to your room." Bright added trying to be helpful.  
  
"We're gonna get lost." Ephram warned as they headed out the door.  
  
"What?! Lost? Are you kidding? Look newbie, I've spent my share of living in this place long enough to know it like the back of my hand. So trust me when I say we are NOT going to get lost." Colin said coolly with a grin. "After all, this was my second home for a while." He laughed.  
  
"So now that we've got that out of the way." Colin continued. "Sit back and let yours truly, master tour guide Colin Hart, take you on a thrilling journey around the hospital's most fascinating places." He spoke comically as he walked along side Ephram's wheelchair.  
  
"Now if you'll turn to your left, we'll see nurses scrambling along their busy routines with pride in their attempt to save thousands of lives a day." Colin announced when they passed by the nurse's station catching the attention of a few nurses. "Wave to the beautiful hard-working dedicated nurses because without them, doctors wouldn't know which end to stick the thermometers in." Colin humored as they waved at the nurses. Charmed by Colin's charisma, they giggled and waved back.  
  
They made their way to oncology, then taking a stroll down pediatrics, stopping briefly at the lounge, and continued to cardiology with Colin making little clever remarks here and there along the way.  
  
After feeling fatigued, he asked his friends to take him back to his room.  
  
"The tricky part is getting out of this friggin wheelchair and onto the bed." Ephram pondered.  
  
"OK - here's the plan. You take hold of my shoulders. Colin hold the wheelchair steady and Amy - you take care of the IV." Bright ordered like it was one of his basketball strategies. Ephram blinked his tired panda eyes at them.  
  
Amy removed the quilted blanket from his lap. Ephram placed his arms on Bright's shoulders and hoisted himself up from the wheelchair as Amy carefully transported the IV bag to the stand next to the bed. With wobbled knees, Ephram lost his balance and nearly slid to the floor when Bright caught him by the armpits. He winced.  
  
"I gotcha." Bright declared and lifted Ephram off his feet and placed him onto the bed. "My gosh you're light. I bet I can bench press you." They laughed as Ephram smiled feebly watching his friends fawn over him.  
  
"Why?" Ephram croaked.  
  
"Why what?" Amy inquired.  
  
"Why are you treating me so nice?"  
  
Ephram didn't understand why they were being so nice to him. He didn't relish this kind of attention - like they were feeding off their guilt on him. He didn't want to be pitied or patronized. He just wanted them to back off. But was that what he truly desired deep down inside? Or was it just his head speaking and not his heart? He longed for acceptance instead of being labeled the outcast.  
  
"Silly - because you're our friend." Amy justified. "You never know how much you can take something for granted until you've almost lost it. We almost lost you Ephram."  
  
"So, it's guilt?"  
  
"It's not all about guilt. You've kept this horrible secret all to yourself because you didn't trust us. You thought we would've avoided you like the plague or that we wouldn't understand. But that's not true. We are here for you and we care. You don't always have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. We are your friends and no matter what, we will always be." Amy reasoned as Colin and Bright agreed. Amy touched the back of Ephram's hand, and Colin put his on Amy's, and Bright placed his on top.  
  
Ephram finally realized he didn't need to try so hard to belong because it was apparent that he already belonged. He smiled sleepily at them.  
  
"I need to sleep now. My dad, Delia and Nina are coming by later and I have to be somewhat well rested." He said with a yawn.  
  
"Ok. We'll be back tomorrow - same bat place, same bat time." Colin joked.  
  
"Thanks." Ephram mumbled.  
  
Maybe Everwood wasn't so empty after all.  
  
*** Friends Will Be Friends When you're in need of love they give you care and attention Friends Will Be Friends When you're through with life and all hope is lost Just hold out your hand Cause Friends Will Be Friends Right till the end  
  
By Freddie Mercury & John Deacon  
  
***  
  
~ End ~ 


End file.
